June 9th, 2014. THANK YOU to all who
showed grit and good humor throughout the year. Whether you are
my student, or one of his or her supporters, I admire you, and I am
grateful for your trust, your imagination, and your hard work. I
just finished reading the final reflections (prompts can be found
below), and I thought some of you might appreciate reading some of the
responses that made me smile. My future partners in educating
these talented SLO kids might like to see them, too:

On writing:

“I
structure it more, put more meaning into my writing, and I support my points better.”

“…my
style became more straightforward and direct.”

“The thing that I improved the most on would be how quickly
I get to the point.”

“…all
the sub-arguments would add up to prove my thesis.”

“One
of the key changes in my writing has been having a stronger argument throughout
my essays…able to take an average argument and ask myself how and why these
things happen and develop a stronger argument.Now that I can do this, I can make all of my writing stronger.”

“Another
change in my writing has been that I am using a lot more direct evidence or
quotes to support arguments.It has made
my papers a lot stronger.”

“I
have been putting more detail into my paragraphs each time I write…using
language that makes my work more clear.”

“My
writing has gotten much more organized throughout the year and my thesis
statements have become much more precise and clear.”

“I
noticed that I have ‘dug deeper’ a little more…come to be clearer when
defending or stating something.”

“My
essays at the end of the year had stronger theses and more of the support was
directly related to my thesis.”

“…long
summaries included in my first works disappeared in later works creating more
focus on the thesis.”

“…making
sure that the entire paper has one thesis and that all the parts of the writing
support that single point.This is most
important because when everything is working at a single idea, the reader sees
more clearly why the work was written.”

“I
now realize that the thesis is the basis of my whole paper, and that I cannot
just go with the first thing that comes to my mind.”

“Without
a valid thesis, all you are doing is stringing the reader on, probably not
having a plan where you are going next.”

“I
developed a stronger thesis so my paper flows better…I had better format and paragraphing
in my last few papers than I did earlier in the year…my conclusion of my last
lit. analysis paper was stronger and linked to my thesis more than all my
earlier papers.The fact that I learned
how to finally come up with strong, fully baked theses was really important.”

“…in
the beginning I loved words too much and didn’t really need most of them, and
then I started saying what I actually meant.”

On reading AND writing:

“I improved
the most on creating worthwhile thesis statements.I learned to search for clues about what the
author is conveying, and putting the pieces together to create great
literature.”

“A
strong thesis makes for a strong paper…the skill I most improved this year…from
the short story connection essay, when I barely knew what a thesis was, to my last
literary analysis essay when I stated the how and the why clearly in my thesis.”

“I
started to dig deeper and elaborate/expand with my thesis.”

“This
year I worked on saying what I mean and backing it up with evidence.I also worked on trying to find the deepest
meaning of a book.”

“…learning
to write multiple drafts until one’s ideas are complete concise, taking
examples out of the literature to support ideas with evidence to construct a
stronger argument.”

“The
previous nights before the exam, I looked up summaries and notes on the two
novels, attempting to brainstorm ideas.When the day of the exam arrived, I felt prepared, managed my time well,
and concluded by the end of the period.”

“…most
important was that I learned how to write a deep thesis…really finding good
support for those theses from the writing I was studying, and finding
connections from my own life to the writing.”

“I
learned how to look harder and find anything that could help support what I thought
was the main theme of the story.”

“I was
finally able to make a good, solid paper by the end of the school year.”

On reading:

“I
think that the first step is to understand the character’s situation and

evaluate
all the characters, then read into all the metaphors/symbol. I think

that
figuring out the metaphors is the most important because that way you

really understand the theme of the book!”

“Juana is one tough woman and shows young girls to be strong
and brave.”

On speaking:

“I made sure I interacted with the audience…to have them
think about my topic.The speech had
accurate evidence, and I made sure it proved my point.Overall, this was my most proud moment of my
English year.”

“Ethos…Logos…Pathos!”

General info (look directly below the boxed text for recent updates/announcements/assignments):
Greetings!I hope this website helps you keep up with
what we did, what we do, and what we will do in English this year.I have made myself a goal of keeping this
site up to date.I’ll see what I might
need to add or change at least once a week.Please understand, however, that once I begin collecting papers, I am on
a relentless treadmill and I devote much of my time to carefully critiquing and
generating feedback on those papers.Much of my time.My first promise
is to teach kids how to write powerfully, so the website gets pushed aside
sometimes.Honest communication between
student and parent/guardian, and use of the student planner, are the best bets
for keeping everyone up to date with what’s happening in class.If anyone feels that they are not getting all
of the information he or she needs from class or this site, email is the best
avenue for reaching me with questions/concerns.The phone is difficult.Conferences are good.

If you miss a Monday with a spelling pretest,
open the document Spelling
lists and vocabulary exercises and complete the vocabulary exercises.Study the words and take all 20 on Friday’s
test in class.If you miss a Friday with
a spelling test, have a responsible person at home dictate the words to you and
take the test at home.The person at
home signs the test, you staple it to your pretest and submit both to the
in-box upon your return.

What can you do to raise your grade?
1. Keep up during class time; take advantage of
every minute because ideas written about and discussed in class are the same
ones I'm looking for in essays and exams. TAKE NOTES. Writing information
and ideas forces you to test your understanding; if you can't write it, you
have a signal showing when and where to ask the teacher and/or classmates to
clarify the material. Be honest in your effort to understand, then feel free to
slow me down in complicated discussions where needed. Enter the room ready to
absorb as much as possible. Note-taking is one important tool that helps you do
this. Careful homework, obviously, helps, too.

2. Improve the work. Look over your
mini essays and add detail to your responses; extract key quotes from the
literature that might strengthen your essays. Digging through the mini
essay prompts, your responses, and the literature will improve your familiarity
with the key concepts I'll be looking for in essays and exams.

3. Make up the work. Check the
postings and turn in any outstanding work. All assignments EXCEPT KBARs
are eligible for half credit up to the final week of each semester.

*Please
don't ask me for extra credit. It is
available throughout the year, but will not serve to bail you
out. Some
assignments early in the first semester will be 100% "extra
credit." They will be announced as such. If you are
interested
in extra credit, take advantage of these opportunities as they crop
up.
They are not offered later. Exceed my expectations on ANY
assignment at
ANY point in the year, and you will receive extra credit-- read the
prompts carefully and GO BIG! (But remember, quantity does not
translate to quality; in
fact, it often hurts).

Update 6/4--

Final
Portfolio Reflection Questions

1.From memory, list as many
assignments in your portfolio as you can.Check portfolio when done and complete the list (if necessary).

2.Which is your favorite?Why?

3.Which was your least
favorite?Why?

4.Which
are you most proud of?Why?

5.Which
was your favorite piece of literature this year?Why?

6.Who
was your favorite character?Why?

7.Review
all your work in your portfolio chronologically (earliest to latest).List three interesting observations or
changes in your writing.Which are the
most profound (obvious and important)?Why?

8.Look
over your work and accompanying gradesheets.List three writing skills you worked on this year.Which is most valuable?Most improved?

9.List
three essential skills for effective reading (think about all the steps you go
through in understanding and making meaning from [interpreting] a piece of
literature).Which skill, or step, is
most important?Why?

Update 4/10--
8th graders have a persuasive speech to deliver next week; some will
deliver on the 15th, the rest on Wednesday and Thursday. Check
out the Persuasive
Speech Gradesheet.
7th graders are exploring Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles with me in class, and they should be working on their April literary analysis essay (second-to-last one!) due May 1st.

Update 3/13
7th grade assignment for Tom:
Choose the most interesting/funny/poignant scene in the novel and
illustrate it in a six to eight square "storyboard" (comic
strip). Explain the meaning/message of the scene (satirical?)
with at least one well supported paragraph. Make sure all work is
shown on the front side of a single page. Most of your points
(out of 30 possible) will come from the explanation of
meaning/message/theme. Due Tuesday, 3/18.

Update 3/11--
8th graders: Anne Frank letter assignment

Consider the history we studied involving Nazism, the
holocaust, and Anne’s time in the secret annex.What are the strongest feelings that come to you?Write them down (prewriting).I’m sure that if any of us were directly involved
in the horrible mess of Nazi-occupied Europe, he or she would feel a strong
urge to change the situation, to help, and if you were to attempt to right any
of the wrongs related to this period in our history, language would likely be
your best tool.Use your imagination to
brainstorm a list of individuals or organizations that might aid you in making
a positive change in Anne’s world (more prewriting) if you were to write to
them.

Pretend you are living in Europe during Anne’s time in the
annex (1942 – 1944).You might know
Anne, you might not.You may be a young
adult, or you may be older.You may be
an official of some sort, or you may be an average citizen.Write a letter to the person or organization
best able to help you effect positive change.

Pay attention to rhetoric: ethos, logos, and pathos (see
class notes and/or research these terms again).Remember that formatting is part of your rhetoric when presenting
written work, so use proper business letter formatting.Check this website for help:

I realize that this is not a
conventional assignment; it's fairly open-ended. You can approach
it in several different ways, and I think that's good! One of the
main reasons we teach this piece of literature in 8th grade is to offer
an opportunity for you to connect with a person your own age who is
dealing with issues you deal with, like parental and friend
relationships, and with more global issues as you learn about the
world's problems. If you like, you can draft the piece as a
journal entry, but I'd like the writing to be in a letter format.
The diary entry idea is a good one, I think, because it should get you
writing, remove pressure. Once the writing is done, it shouldn't
be difficult to address the piece to another person, even if it is a
fictitious (made-up) one.

This assignment is worth 30 points and will be graded on
depth of thought, appropriateness of tone and content (specifics related to the
reading and documentaries we studied should be referenced), and
formatting.Due Fri. March 14th.

8th-- Keep up with the reading in A Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. Finish reading THROUGH page shown by date shown:

Feb.
17

18

19 pg 20

20 40

21 60

24 80

25 100

26 skip to pg 200

27 220

28 240

March 3

4 260

5 done

6

7

Update 2/12--
Whew! Kids have done their jobs writing papers and presenting them
(almost all); now it's on me to grade the papers and get students going
on the next units, Anne Frank/Naziism/WWII for 8th graders, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
for seventh. More info on those to be posted as we move into
them... For now, we need to focus on making the most of this
opportunity to reflect on performances at all of the stages in research
project: address each of the Research
Reflection prompts with at least one fully developed paragraph and submit the work on Tuesday, Feb. 18th for 60 points.
You should understand, given the large point value attached, that I
consider this a very important assignment and I expect careful, honest,
detailed work (quality, not quantity). Most students in the past
have put forth great effort on this assignment, revising drafts of
responses and showing vivid examples, and they have been rewarded with
100% of the 60 points possible. This is a great opprtunity to
boost your grade.
We are also resuming our regular asignments now that the research project is done, so the next KBAR
log is due 2/28.
7th graders should lso be working the next lit.
analysis project that is due 3/4.

Update 1/24--
We are DEEP into the research project! This week and next are
critical to success-- crunch time! Students should have a solid
draft of the paper done today. Revise it early next week; have a
polished, convincing draft done by Thursday, January 30th. This
will allow time for practicing the delivery of the paper as a
speech. Don't forget that the visual aid should be integrated
into that delivery; point to images and captions on the board that help
to get your points across to us as you speak those sections of your
paper. Be creative!
Due dates:

2/4

Liliy S
Olivia R
Audra M
Jade H
Kara H

Will H
Hannah A
Anneke M
Leila S
Sofia W

Lyndon L
Dominic M
Greg O
Chase D
Logan A

Samantha C
Justin B
Nina F
Sebastian Q
Danielle P

Galen P
Carsan B
Brooke W
Jacob A
Josephine A

2/5

Lance S
Sabrina M
Anika M
Qili P
Alex R

Lucas S
Hannah M
Eddie M
William G
Prachi S

Lili TM
Ruysch E
Ashleigh C
Chloe W
Gabby W

Jamie G
Colin E
Matthew F
Rylie N
Evan D

Nate H
Mercedes S
Elizabeth T
Matthew H
Olivia D

2/6

Max C
Janea H
Sam S
Carson S
Taylor L

Amelia CC
Molly F
Hannah F
Zoey N
Chloe C

Skylar G
Caden B
Chase M
Eric N
James P

Ganden S
Sean O
Gabby B
Madi S
Eislee S

Landon B
Brittney V
Maija R
Isabel C
Matt E

2/7

Amberly C
Ben R
Maya N
Jena N
Abby H

Sammi G
Clare O
Nadia SB
Christine C
Jason W

Israel DT
Gaby R
Danielle H
John G
Roxy A

Alyssa S
Bridget D
Joe H
Atalie M
Noah G

Sam R
Dylan C
Taylor Y
Zach M
Casey L

2/10

Molly E
Kayley R
Amber N
Owen S
Lily A

Eric L
Cassidy C
Adrienne S
Martin K
Thomas P

Erik V
Jerry W
Tim H
Chris Q
Michelle M

Marisol S
Gloria F
Jacob R
Hannah R
Andrew G

Jack G
Macarthy M
Charlie S
Destinee W
Jorge V

2/11

Sevryn J
Adian A
Kiran H
Jack R
Aaron B

Tristyn M
Rakhi L
Samantha G
Kaylee B
Ariana K

Cobe V
Sean A

Miguel A
Kate L
Jamie F
Joel L
Zane L

Connor J
Jack M
Alex R

Paper is due the day you present. An excused absence will not be
penalized-- the presentation and paper will be due upon return, or a
later date with special circumstances.
Print one of each of these if you haven't already:

Update 1/10--
I'll check for ten pages of notes (or the equivalent-- note cards
are okay), and THREE sources entered on a rough draft works cited page
Monday. Make sure that each note includes a clear reference to the
source of that note (the first word of the entry on the r. d. works
cited and a page #, if there are page #s). 10 pts.

I'll collect a thesis statement for the paper, the argument
you'll develop ABOUT the life of your subject, Thursday, Jan.
16th. Draft and revise this statement until the language is VERY
CLEAR and the argument is worthy (is it statement that I will
immediately accept as just plain true? Dig deeper! Show me a way to
look at your subject that I might not have seen before, an important
truth about him or her that I should know and tell others). Turn
it in to me on a fresh sheet of paper so I can write feedback below the
statement. 10 pts.

Update 12/20--
Here we are at the winter break already! All students should be
shifting into research mode at this point, reading and soaking in all
he or she can on the person chosen yesterday. All other regular
assignments (like KBAR) and spelling tests will be suspended until we
wrap up research presentations the first week in February (you will get
your personal due date for BOTH presentation and paper in late January
by lottery in class). Check out the links below to get ideas on
expectations, but don't feel pressured by them at this point-- just
read and take a few notes on important biographical and historical
facts, WITH PAGE NUMBERS OF SOURCE FOR EACH NOTE (so that in-text
documentation will be a snap when you draft the paper). Wade
in... If you approach learning with an open mind for a few
weeks, your interest will guide you to the most important parts of the
story when the generalities are old news. Learning the basics
should be fun and easy. Enjoy this stage!

If you decide that your choice was not wise, and you'd like to switch
subjects, do it sooner rather than later. You should have a solid
understanding of the person's life story (biography) when you return
from break. Consult the lists below so that you do not choose to
switch to a person already assigned to a classmate (and TELL ME ASAP if
you switch so someone else can have your previous choice):

Update 11/6--
7th-- 7th graders are working on a
Canterbury Tale-type Tale of their own that they will share aloud on a
“pilgrimage” of our own.Here’s the
assignment:Have fun writing a “Tale” from the perspective of a recognizable figure
from our society—like Chaucer did from figures in his.Story should take about four minutes to read
aloud.Make it a witty commentary on how
our world works (or doesn’t work) today.Mimicry of Chaucer’s witty style and creativity are encouraged for this
one-to-three page story with a “moral” (moral with some satire involved?).It should be a friendly and adventurous
competition.Winner (voted on by all,
but chosen by me, the inn-keeper, ultimately) will get some sort of prize—a
turkey leg?).Due Tuesday, Nov. 12thth.30 pts.The next KBAR is due Monday the 18th (you can put it in the in-box Nov. 14th if you want).Students should always be working on the next lit. analysis project (due
Dec. 3rd)
Update 10/23--
8th grade mini essay prompts for today:

“Maybe
there are some lies you should never admit to. I had told him we had to be
truthful, and now I was sorry because I think I knew before the Pigman opened
his mouth what he would have to tell us in return” (91). Do you agree with Lorraine’s first statement?
Is this true in all circumstances? In this particular case? Explain using short
quotes to support your statement.

It’s clear at the
end of chapter 13 that the party was a bad idea, a big mistake.Why do John and Lorraine make it?Is one more at fault than the other? Is the decision-making consistent with what we
have seen in their characters elsewhere in the story?Support all answers with evidence and
explanation (write full paragraphs!).

Update 10/17--
KBAR and spelling test #6 due tomorrow for all students.7th- We enjoyed the first
performance of our Beowulf Riff projects today-- good job synthesizing
concepts involving the original story as an artifact of 9th century
England and this performance portraying life in the U S, 2013.
Hannah F, Jason W, Thomas P, Trysten M, and Samantha G from 2nd period
shared an especially thoughtful and clever story on stage. Thank
you!
Keep lit analysis projects going-- remember that I expect an
interesting, meaningful argument on the theme of the book you chose to
analyze over the past month! Essay should argue a point that
requires support/development. If your thesis is just plain true,
it's not a good thesis-- wirk with the thought; what ABOUT the truth
you see in the story? Get into how and why.
You will benefit from a little bit of research-- what was the author's
life like? What have critics said about the book? How might
the time period/era of the story's setting inform your interpretation
of the theme/message? Research and steal ideas BUT ADMIT TO ALL
THAT YOU STOLE THEM! CITE SOURCES! It's good scholarship!8th-Mini essay today: Re-read the longer paragraph in the middle ofpage 42. What does Lorraine mean when she
says, “She just doesn’t look the wayshe
sounds, and I often wonder how she got this way.” What “way?” Speculate an
answer of your own for Lorraine’snagging question.

Update 10/4--7th-We have read Robert Nye’s Beowulf:
A New Telling,
studied the context and significance of this original English text in
the oral tradition, and I am emphasizing themes related to coherence of
character, accepting the faults in one’s self and using acknowledged
weaknesses
to recognize and develop strengths, acting with grace to perform
heroically.The blend of Christian and
pagan values and culture in this textual artifact of 9th or 10th
century England is particularly interesting.Beowulf’s power comes from his sensitive and forgiving nature, and from
his faith, as much as it derives from his courage, from his loyalty to his mortal king, and from his physical strength.The work’s value lies partly in what it shows
us about any good piece of literature’s potential to serve as a window into the
culture of the group that produced and consumed it, in this case a blended
society of Viking overlords, Anglo Saxon commoners, and Christian
converts/worshippers.Because it is an
artifact of our own Western civilization, and because I want kids to have fun
exploring the parallels between the ancient culture of England and our modern
culture, we are working toward an assignment that calls upon students to write a modern re-re-telling
(yes, re- re-!):

Riff on Beowulf assignment

Robert Nye’s Beowulf: A New Telling shows an attempt to portray
the “root meaning” of the original poem that is now 1000 to 1200 years
old.We see evidence of his concern with
“root meaning” in his use of metaphors, symbols, and philosophical
speeches.
Like all stories in the oral tradition, it shows listeners, or readers,
the values of the culture that created it and consumes it. Sadly,
the USA does not have an epic poem that moves listeners to feel
connected and educated in the culture. So... your job is to write
one! Play with figurative style (symbols, metaphors,
analogy, personification), and write a multiple-scene poem that tells a
whole story. Make the story reflect our culture and its
values. Have fun, but keep it school-appropriate!

Hints: Brainstorm possible modern-day characters/forces of our time
that might represent the characters/forces of Nye’s version of Beowulf.Who/what kind of character might you use for
Beowulf?For Unferth?Queen Wealhtheow?Hrothgar?What evil force, monster, or person might
represent Grendel?2) Write scenes
in which these characters/forces interact.Show a conflict and a resolution.If your poem is chosen by the group of six to 8 students to which you
are assigned, you and your group members will adapt the scene to our little
stage (in class) and you will perform a three to 10 minute skit.

Final draft of this assignment is
due on Oct. 11th.30 pts.Extra credit may be awarded if script is
accompanied by a storyboard.

Of course 7th graders should also
make some progress each day on their lit.
analysis project assigned last week and due Nov. 5th.50 pts.

Update 10/3--
8th graders will need to know the correct order of events on the
timeline, and they will need to know how to finish each statement below
the timeline on the History
of English study guide in order to do well on the history of English test set for Thursday, Oct. 10th.

Update 9/30--
7th graders will embark upon their first lit.
analysis projectin October. Print the assignment sheet tonight and bring it to class with questions tomorrow.

Update 9/23--

NO SPELLING THIS WEEK--bigger fish to fry with the essay due
Friday (you should have a SOLID draft of the entire essay done Tuesday
night, Weds latest). Next KBAR log due 10/4.

Still foggy on plot diagrams? Check the Plot Diagram Models
again. Pay attention to placement of title and author (quotation
marks around short story titles), labels, quotes (formatting must be
correct), and theme argument. Also remember that "theme" needs to
be a complete idea on the meaning of the story-- what does it show us
about how life works?

HOMEWORK TONIGHT-- Read the sample essay below and compare
it to the assignment sheet, and to the instruction we've worked on in
the classroom (NOTE-- "Beyond Borders" is much longer than I am
expecting from you! Feel free to use creative description and
dialogue, but keep it close to the word limit; shoot for 4-6
paragraphs):

Mr. Wittman
Per. 1
Short Story Connection Essay
10/2/00

Beyond
Borders

Antonio’s age
surprises me.He’sabout my
size: five-seven, around one-sixty.Antonio has grace given his proportions; he lifts a large House Special,
loaded with pepperoni, from the back row of the top oven in a fluid
motion.His skinny brother, Pantaleon, swishes by with another order, slipping below
the long-handled spatula as Antonio’s pirouette lands the steaming pie safely
on the boxing counter.Antonio beams a
quick smile then shakes his head at the near miss.His countenance suggests a boy of seventeen,
but Antonio talks about his two little girls, his pretty wife, Esme, who I met last December at our boss’s Christmas
party, and occasionally, very rarely, about his large family back in
Mexico.Antonio’s trials in immigration
and the responsibilities he talks about with Esme,
echoing some of the conversations of my parents, make it hard believe that he
is only two years older than I am.
Antonio lives
with, and accepts on a daily basis, the possibility of being plucked from the
kitchen of Gina’s Pizza where we work, cuffed and corralled into awhite van marked United States Immigration
and Naturalization Service, and deported across the barbed-wire border at Tia
Juana.Antonio’s experiences have shown
him a harsh world that coddles some and punishes others with indifference.My friend, Antonio, and Bridgie,
of Paul Darcy Boles’ “The House Guest,” live in a world very different from my
own.Each of these characters has taught
me that the world is more complex and unjust than I had thought it was, and
they remind me to appreciate the truly important things in life.
I can relate to
Mitch, the narrator of Boles’ story.I
drive a car of my own.I have never been
forced to skip a meal.I do not know war.Mitch has it good, and he doesn’t find much
occasion for reflecting upon how good he has it-- until Bridgie
comes for a six-week visit.“At first it
kept on being kind of eggshelly around her[,]”
according to Mitch (79).He wanted to
make Bridgie feel welcome and comfortable, but knew
he shouldn’t “ask her anything heavy about how things were in the place she’d
come from…Belfast” (79).Not knowing
anything about Bridgie’s world makes it hard for
Mitch to forge the friendship that he desires.He offers to help Bridgie at every chance, but
she’s independent.“Nah…Don’t put
yourself out for me, Mitch” (81).Mitch
is pleased when Bridgie finally does seek his help.
He cleans out the
workshop for Bridgie, and she begins spending all her
time there.The workshop is out back, so
Bridgie is isolated, exercising her
independence.She takes walks,
explaining, “It’s fine walking where ya please.Not havin’ to stay
in the District…where you and your people stay inside of” (82).This kind of limitation had never occurred to
Mitch.“I’d never even started to think
about how it would be living inside a few blocks and not stepping over a
line.I did then” (82).Bridgie’s
matter-of-fact account of what life is often like for her opens Mitch’s eyes to
another reality.He learns to see things
from Bridgie’s perspective, and this instills in him
a deep sense of respect for her.Bridgie helps Mitch gain a more complete understanding of
the world around him; she shows him the importance of appreciating the good things
he has—like his freedom.
Antonio’s
happy-go-lucky personality is an inspiration.Like Bridgie, he has led a restricted
life.In Mexico, Antonio was poor, and
there was little in the way of job opportunities.He came to the US, along with Pantaleon, hoping to fulfill a dream of prosperity.I guess you could say he has prospered.A typical day for Antonio, however, makes a
typical day for me look like Club Med.With two jobs, one with me at Gina’s and one at another restaurant, two
infant daughters, and a young wife who doesn’t speak English, Antonio has
little time for himself.This is hard
for me, the part-time employee full-time beach rat, to comprehend.“What are you doing on your next day off?” I
asked one summer night as we teamed up on the dishes, Antonio piling the
steaming metal pots and trays onto the counter faster than I could dry them.
“Day off?” he
said, as though I were kidding.
“Yeah,
you know, when you’re not working.”
“Always
working, Weel,” he stated.
I
picked up another heavy, hot metal pot and wiped the white cloth over the edges
as I turned it.What must it be like to
be seventeen without a day to yourself, to be always scrambling in one
restaurant kitchen or another in order to feed, clothe, and house a family of
four?Seventeen!As I daydreamed, staring blankly at the block
wall above the sink and pondering the world through my friend’s eyes, a tiny,
cold wad of pizza dough bounced off of my cheek.
“Wake
up lazy.We don’ want to go home late
tonight!”Antonio had finished the
dishes, leaving me with a mammoth stack on the counter to dry.He stood smiling by the smooth metal table
where we pound the balls of dough into round saucers, tossing them to impress
the customers across the plexiglasssneezeguard.
~ ~
~
We
were short one employee the following Saturday night.During the week, there had been a raid by the
INS at Antonio’s other restaurant and he had joined the rest of the kitchen
staff for a one-way trip into Mexico.“Don’t worry,” his brother, Panta, told me, rolling
his eyes.“He will be back tomorrow or
the next day.”I wasn’t sure what to
say, or even if he was serious, so I said nothing.“Three, four, maybe five days to get back to
here,” Panta assured me.“What
will it cost him?” I asked.
“One
hundred, one-fifty,” he answered.I
dumped the tray of sliced mushrooms into another tray where we make the pizzas
and returned to the walk-in refrigerator for more green peppers.The
walk-in is a good place to hide.I like
the cool and to munch on the cheese and salami sandwiches that Antonio had
taught me to make—cheese in the center, salami for the bread.How do Esme and
Antonio’s daughters get along while he is fighting to return to this
inhospitable second home?I worry that
he might not make it or that he might get into bigger trouble trying.I picture him sprinting down the trails near
the checkpoint in Oceanside, border patrol agents beaming their searchlights
over the low chaparral.What if he is
ripped off by a heartless “coyote?”What
if he gives up and fails to return at all?And if I’m having these terrible thoughts, if I’m this worried about my
friend of six or seven months, how must Esme be
feeling?I
visited Gina’s on Monday to pick up my paycheck and get a slice for lunch.Sure enough, Antonio was there—all smiles, as
usual.“Antonio!You’re back!”My enthusiasm made several other customers turn to look at me.I didn’t care.
“Yes,
Loco.You think I not come back?” he
asked.
“No,
I mean…yeah!I mean, yeah, I knew you’d
be back.”He laughed, showing the gold
in his teeth.He rang up my slice and
took my dollar-fifty.
“Here
you go, amigo.Back to la playa, no?” he
said, handing me the little white cardboard box.
“You
know it, amigo.Las olas
mas perfecto ahora!”I shook his hand in the “bro” style, not forgetting to clash knuckles
with him at the end.“See you Wednesday,
no?”
“Si,
si,” he replied with another smile.
I
sat in the back seat of my friend’s Suburu wagon on
the way back to the beach, chowing down on my slice and checking the figures on
my paycheck.$162.63 for two weeks worth of part-time work—all right, I thought!Over halfway to a new surfboard, or maybe I’d
get some new rims for my mountain bike.Then I pictured Antonio checking the figures of his check.If I made $162.63, he must have cleared $700
easily.But the bills he must have!Can four people live on what Antonio makes?What did Esme and
her daughters do while he was scrambling north again?How much did the trip cost him?What will happen if he is caught again?
I
picture the bills, the cramped apartment they share with Pantaleon
and his family, and I see Esme frowning.But every time I picture Antonio’s face, his
smile beams back at me.“You think I not
come back, Loco?” he chides in my memory.No,
Antonio.I know you come back.
~ ~
~
I
haven’t seen Antonio in many years, but like Mitch believes in Bridgie’s ability to overcome adversity, to maintain a
positive perspective through unjust, traumatic, and chaotic times, I believe
that he is doing okay.Antonio and Bridgie are kindred spirits.They serve as reminders of what life has to
offer, of what offering something in return can do for the soul.Quiet Bridgie,
toiling to create her “door key” collars for stray dogs, devotes herself to
others despite finding herself in a position that would have many characters
feeling sorry for themselves (84).Why
should she be born into a poor Belfast family and Mitch live in relative luxury
in the States?Antonio smiles, working
endless hours to support his family and befriending a naïve beach rat that, to
him, must symbolize injustice in the same way.Both characters struggle to make the most of circumstances imposed upon
them by the geography of their birth.They harbor contempt for the word “border,” but refuse to be broken by
it.Because they face their many
challenges with optimism, because they do not waiver in their generosity
despite having so little, and because their spirits know no bounds, their
“District is the world,” and they inspire me to learn from those around me
(84).

***Reflect on the essay now-- Where is the thesis statement? Does
the discussion/essay stay on-topic? Does it answer the prompt
(look at the assignment sheet again)? Did the writer have a
little fun along the way? How? Is that okay?***

Update 9/20/13--

We are transitioning from plot diagrams to our first formal essay, the Short
Story Connection Essay. Some class time each day next week will be devoted to drafting this essay. Due Friday, 9/27.

KBAR has begun! The first log is due 9/20/13. See
below for specific requirements. Find recommended reading on the
Laguna library website: http://wordpress.slcusd.org/lamslibrary/
If you lost your log, or just want to print a few so I don't need to
give you any (great idea!), find link to the digital copy below:

We will have a spelling pretest (#2) today, final test Friday 9/13.

READY? SET?.....
2013/2014 school year is here! Please review the course outline
with your parent(s) and/or guardian. Links to each grade level
below. Print one out and get it signed by parent or guardian for
your first ten points in the course (easy money!). Due Friday,
Aug. 30th.

If link above does not work, find the text of the handout below:
Back to School 2013—Here we go!

Welcome.Thank you
for trusting me to teach your kids.Thank you for your help in teaching them.Tonight, I’d like to highlight some details
of ongoing programs that sometimes trip up the kids; I’d like to prep you on the
research project that begins in December so that you can prep and support your
student; and I’d like to cover miscellaneous items that apply to each of the
two courses I teach.

KBAR—Reading log collected every two weeks.10 pts each.I expect students to read for at least 20 minutes each day/night;
however, for KBAR, they should log FOUR reading sessions of at least 20 minutes
on four different days per week.The
material can be almost anything, but there is a catch.We want kids to want to read, and I’m interested in their choices, but the log must
show a SIGNIFICANT quotation from each reading session on the reverse of the
KBAR form.This means that the reading
material must contain significant material—Teen
People, Cosmogirl, and the like
are not safe choices!Reading
award-winning and/or widely celebrated authors can earn one to 2 points of
extra credit.If we are in the middle of
reading a novel, assigned reading can be logged for regular credit.Please support this program!It is fairly tedious, I know, to log reading
sessions, to log anything, really, but this program is pretty cool.All Laguna students have been taking part in
it for decades here, and the theories behind it are neat:

2. It offers repeated opportunities to get involved in the
student’s reading and generate meaningful discussion

3. It shows that we care about reading.

Please buy-in, and
please help your student buy-in!KBAR!YAY!

Spelling tests—Most five-day school weeks, on Monday, I
dictate a list of 20 words taken from a long list of “academic vocabulary” that
several university professors compiled.For years now, there has been a strong push to familiarize kids with
these words before they leave high
school.The lists, and the accompanying
vocabulary exercises, can be found linked to my website.Encourage your student to look them over
before each pretest—go for it!Not
cheating!I dictate the post-test on
Friday; the kids are responsible for having the vocab exercise done correctly
on the pretest, and they need to spell the words they missed on Monday.I staple the pretest (don’t lose it!) to the
post-test as I collect the work.If
absent on a Monday, access the list and exercises on my website, study the
whole list, complete the exercises, and take all 20 words on Friday.If absent on a Friday, a responsible person
in the house should dictate the words in a post-test scenario, sign the
post-test, and send pre and post-test with student to school when he or she
returns.Student submits tests to the
“in-box.”

Research Project—Students can begin reading and taking notes
now on the life story of any positive, significant, RESEARCHABLE person.You might help them choose a subject
now.Buy-in is crucial!They will learn the life story, study issues
of the time period, and eventually argue
an interesting point about the person
and his or her place in history.Help
them make the leap from “report” to argument.I don’t want a report.Let’s make
them think little harder.

Misc--

Course
outline for English 7 Accel.
PARENTS: Please email me, send a short note with your student, or write a note
in his or her planner indicating that you read the course outline and reviewed
it with your student. Your acknowledgment of the course outline info is
worth ten points to your student-- due Friday, Aug. 30th.

Course
outline for English 8 PARENTS: Please email me,
send a short note with your student, or write a note in his or her planner
indicating that you read the course outline and reviewed it with your
student. Your acknowledgment of the course outline info is worth ten
points to your student-- due Friday, Aug. 30th.

The next KBAR
log is due 9/7/12. A new log will be
due every two weeks after this date. I do not accept late KBAR reading
logs. Extra logs are kept in the room by the door, but please be
responsible for using the one I give on each due date (SAVE PAPER, TREES, TIME,
ENERGY).You may also print a log
using the link KBAR
log.

Your grade-- I use Powerschool
now, so the Laguna site shows what's in the computer. I update the
computer "book" every two to three weeks. Track your
performance by considering your returned work-- how students did it for
hundreds of years before web sites! Check Powerschool
every so often to see if your record of your performances matches mine.
Better yet, don't pay much attention to your grade; focus instead on the
learning and go after the assignments with enthusiasm. I guarantee your
grade will be in the top ranks if you do. Email me with specific
questions or concerns.

What can you do to raise your grade?1. Keep up during class time; take advantage of
every minute because ideas written about and discussed in class are the same
ones I'm looking for in essays and exams. TAKE NOTES. Writing information
and ideas forces you to test your understanding; if you can't write it, you
have a signal showing when and where to ask the teacher and/or classmates to
clarify the material. Be honest in your effort to understand, then feel free to
slow me down in complicated discussions where needed. Enter the room ready to
absorb as much as possible. Note-taking is one important tool that helps you do
this. Careful homework, obviously, helps, too.

2. Improve the work. Look over your
mini essays and add detail to your responses; extract key quotes from the
literature that might strengthen your essays. Digging through the mini
essay prompts, your responses, and the literature will improve your familiarity
with the key concepts I'll be looking for in essays and exams.

3. Make up the work. Check the
postings and turn in any outstanding work. All assignments EXCEPT KBARs
are eligible for half credit up to the final week of each semester.

*Please don't ask me for extra credit. It is
available throughout the year, but will not serve to bail you out. Some
assignments early in the first semester will be 100% "extra
credit." They will be announced as such. If you are interested
in extra credit, take advantage of these opportunities as they crop up.
They are not offered later. Exceed my expectations on ANY assignment at
ANY point in the year, and you will receive extra credit-- read the prompts
carefully and GO BIG! (But remember, quantity does not translate to quality; in
fact, it often hurts).

___ / 10 steps written in
precise language (demonstrator can perform tasks without confusion or
additional explanation; can achieve success following only the words on page)

___ / 5
cautionary notes are included in appropriate area(s) of document

___ / 10 professional, easy
to follow format (picture of final product provided [if product is involved in
your process] key elements of process are highlighted with appropriate font,
margins, bullet points, borders, icons, illustrations, and or colors—use these
well!Don’t over do it; simple is the
rule!)

Demonstration

___ / 10
all necessary materials are provided and incorporated into demo

___ / 10
demo takes between one and 4 minutes

___ / 10
demo is performed in an appropriate manner (Humor is allowed!Just make sure
it’s appropriate for a mature, educated audience—me!)

Update May 3--

7th--

The Outsiders and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
dialogue assignment

Write a dialogue between one major character in S. E. Hinton’s
The Outsiders, and one major character in Mark Twain’s The Adventures
of Tom Sawyer.Have them discuss the
difficulties of navigating the world as a kid.Include as much specific detail from the readings as you can.Be clever :-).

Illustrations that enhance and delight will earn you extra
credit-- a storyboard, perhaps, or a painting, or collage…Be clever :-).

50 points.Due ­­­­­_May 10th____

Update April 24--

Update April 19--

7th--We are reaching the middle of SE Hinton's The Outsiders, and we are loving it! Finish chapter 7 for Monday's class, 9 for Tues., and the whole story for Wed. Consider today's mini essay:
Do you consider yourself part of a group that has a name/label?
How does the name affect the way you see yourself? See others not
in that group? (Just how powerful is a label? Why is a
label powerful? Can the power be positive AND negative?
What's up with that?! Think of your own life, and think of
Ponyboy). The Tom Sawyer essay mentioned below will be a compare
and contrast assignment, possibly something other than an essay,
incorporating Twain, Hinton, and Emily Dickinson (and...?). Stay
tuned.

8th-- We finished Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl.
Review notes taken in class this week, and look for issues and events
in your daily life that relate to issues and events we study in this
unit. How does the economy's variable condition/performance
affect comfort, emotions, and morals of individuals in a society?
What makes a life meaningful and worthwhile?

Next KBAR due 5/3. Next spelling test, #20, 5/8.

Update April 11-- 7th grade storyboard: I PUSHED THE DUE DATE BACK TO TUESDAY, APRIL 16th

Update April 9--

Due Friday.

8th graders need to keep up with reading in The Diary of a Young Girl: 20 pages each night, done with page 80 on Friday.

Update April 4--

8th grade-- Check out this site for background on German historical events leading up to WWII: http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/putsch2.htm It will be very helpful to you if you consider our next piece of literature, Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl, in terms of the historical context.

7th grade-- We will write an in-class essay on Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer when we finish reading the book. Study your notes, mini essays, and
the book. Any research on Twain, his historical period, and/or
the literary period to which he belongs (American Realism) will also be
helpful. Be sure you are relying on credible sources and cite
them when sharing information and ideas in your essay.

7th grade only: A number of emails
are in my box about trouble with the literary analysis assignment sheet.I can open it from my computer, and I can’t
find a problem.Sorry it is not working
from your side.Here is the content:

Monthly Literary
Analysis Papers and Presentations

Authors construct stories using the same set of basic
elements: setting, character, conflict,
rise of action, climax, and resolution.They also employ techniques or devices like pace; tone; description; point of view; dialogue; characterization and
motivation; irony; figurative language; style; and format.Different authors,
and even the same author with different works, emphasize some of these elements
and techniques over others to affect the reader, to deliver the theme of their individual works.

The assignment:

FIRST:Read an approved book carefully enough to
analyze its elements and techniques.

SECOND:Write a complete essay structured according
to the guidelines presented on the handout we use all year long, summarized
here:

Support with
evidence (properly formatted quotations from the literature)

Explain connections
to thesis

State point of
paragraph

Support with evidence

Explain connections

State point of
paragraph

Support with evidence

Explain connections

LINK to attention
getter (remind reader of the essay’s beginning)

RESTATE thesis and
possibly give another example, connect to your own experience?

TWIST—leave reader
with an interesting/important/humorous thought relating to your
subject—sometimes a quotation works well

Excellent papers and presentations will include discussions
of the elements and techniques (see above) that contribute
to the work’s effectiveness/development of theme.I recommend that you provide these
discussions in the body paragraphs, amidst your explanations for how specific
evidence from the novel supports your thesis.For example, does the passage you are using as evidence for theme also
show the author’s skill and/or emphasis on characterization?On description?On figurative
language?On irony?Does the format of the writing hint to the theme
of the story?Does the author’s choice
of P.O.V. enhance the development of
theme?Analyses of the story’s elements
can be offered briefly in the body paragraphs dealing mostly with theme, or an
additional body paragraph or two analyzing the story’s elements may be added.Just be sure not to stray from your
discussion on theme too long; get back to your thesis after discussing
elements.